2 lessons in one day?

iknowmyvalue

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Would you do it on your horse?

I’ve managed to double book myself next weekend and organise 2 dressage lessons on the same day. One is at home, but the other is a 15min drive away.

Oh and we are meant to be going 10mins down the road for a SJ comp on Sunday!

Horse is very fit, but don’t want it to be too much for him!
 

stangs

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As long as you're not making a habit of it, and horse is fit, I don't see why not. Would probably give him a day off afterwards though.
 

iknowmyvalue

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Horses have 2 lessons a day at camps all the time.
I know, and he’s done 2 weekend camps this year so I’m not sure why I’m overthinking it ?


As long as you're not making a habit of it, and horse is fit, I don't see why not. Would probably give him a day off afterwards though.
He normally gets the day off after competing anyway, so yes he definitely would get the Monday off. And also not something I want to make a habit of, got my dates mixed up and thought one of the things was on the Friday.
 

ownedbyaconnie

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As AE said I’ve done two lessons each day at a weekend camp. If horse is fit then for the odd occasion I think it’s fine.

mind you when I untacked Rosie and then retacked after a few hours she gave me a look similar to what I imagine Jesus gave to Judas. Pure betrayal in her sad little eyes.
 

Squeak

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I think from the horse's POV you'd probably be fine but I'm not sure I'd get as much out of the lessons. I like to go away and practice what I learn in a lesson and I'm not sure I'd remember what I'd done in the first lesson as well after a following one.
 

lucy_108

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Personally, I wouldn't. If you have a good dressage lesson you and your horse will have had a proper workout and I'm not sure why you'd want to ask more from them or yourself?

In terms of people having 2 lessons a day at camps - this is factored into the lesson usually and you're splitting it with 2, 3, 4 sometimes more people so naturally you'll do less.

Two 1-2-1 dressage lessons in a day is a lot for a horse and a rider physically and mentally IMO. I know that when I get off after a dressage lesson there is no way I'd be gunning to go for another in the afternoon - my eyes are solidly on a hot bath and a gin!
 

Jenko109

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Perhaps tell the first instructor that you want to do some slower work so your horse is still fresh for the second lesson?

A proper 1-2-1 lesson is hard going.
 

ycbm

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Personally, I wouldn't. If you have a good dressage lesson you and your horse will have had a proper workout and I'm not sure why you'd want to ask more from them or yourself?

In terms of people having 2 lessons a day at camps - this is factored into the lesson usually and you're splitting it with 2, 3, 4 sometimes more people so naturally you'll do less.

Two 1-2-1 dressage lessons in a day is a lot for a horse and a rider physically and mentally IMO. I know that when I get off after a dressage lesson there is no way I'd be gunning to go for another in the afternoon - my eyes are solidly on a hot bath and a gin!


I agree with this. I wouldn't do it. I would ask both instructors if either of them would be happy to cancel.
.
 

CanteringCarrot

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Personally, I wouldn't. If you have a good dressage lesson you and your horse will have had a proper workout and I'm not sure why you'd want to ask more from them or yourself?

In terms of people having 2 lessons a day at camps - this is factored into the lesson usually and you're splitting it with 2, 3, 4 sometimes more people so naturally you'll do less.

Two 1-2-1 dressage lessons in a day is a lot for a horse and a rider physically and mentally IMO. I know that when I get off after a dressage lesson there is no way I'd be gunning to go for another in the afternoon - my eyes are solidly on a hot bath and a gin!

Also agree with this. My horse is fit and experienced (dressage) but I wouldn't physically or mentally want to ask this of him. Mostly the mental aspect.
 

Flowerofthefen

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I won't do another camp because my horse hated being ridden twice a day!! On day 2, by the forth lesson he was very annoyed so I won't do it again!!
 

teapot

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If you're not used to it, two lessons, especially privates in one day is tough going.

I do it all the time so am used to it, and on horses I don't know too, but I don't recommend it for everyone!
 

greenbean10

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I’d have a dressage and a showjumping lesson but no chance I’d have two dressage lessons….although that could just be because I’d rather watch paint dry than do that much dressage.

As someone else said, if the horse does some nice work in the first lesson then you might feel a big guilty packing him up in the lorry to go to another one!
 

nikkimariet

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Personally, no. But my dressage training is very intense. So I just don’t think that would be fair. The jumping we both enjoy but are far less refined and I wouldn’t want to make a mistake and lose confidence through us being tired.
 

iknowmyvalue

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Thanks for opinions. Will have a think but seems like cancelling one might be best (which I thought might be the case!). Should be able to cancel/rearrange the second one fairly easily. The other I want to go to, because he goes well at home but sometimes struggles in new places so will be good to do a bit somewhere different.
 

GreyDot

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I think from the horse's POV you'd probably be fine but I'm not sure I'd get as much out of the lessons. I like to go away and practice what I learn in a lesson and I'm not sure I'd remember what I'd done in the first lesson as well after a following one.

I'd say from the horse's POV it would be a no.
From a human's POV, choose the one which would bring you the most benefit (the one away from home?) and reschedule the other. They don't get the adrenaline kick we get, with two lessons in one day and I'd reckon you would get more from it by spacing it out.
 

iknowmyvalue

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I'd say from the horse's POV it would be a no.
From a human's POV, choose the one which would bring you the most benefit (the one away from home?) and reschedule the other. They don't get the adrenaline kick we get, with two lessons in one day and I'd reckon you would get more from it by spacing it out.
Yeah, rescheduling isn’t a problem. The instructor id reschedule does a full days teaching at the yard at least once/twice a month so it’s not a big issue. Just kicking myself for not writing the first one on the calendar when I said I’d do it, and promptly misremembering the date ?
 

Winters100

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Mine always work twice a day, and are also fit, but I would not do 2 lessons. The difference with working them myself is that I can vary the intensity of the 2nd session according to how much we did in the morning, how the horse feels etc. If they feel flat after morning work I can take them in hand off one of the others in the afternoon, of just hack / lunge / ride at a less intense pace. For me 2 lessons would be too much, as I would be looking to get the most out of each session, and would be disappointed if I had to ask the instructor to lower their expectations because the horse had already worked hard in the morning. Just my personal view, it won't do any long term harm, but I would feel that I was asking too much.
 

Ambers Echo

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If these are private lessons - as you might have in a dressage specific camp - then the 2 lessons can be planned to complement each other. I wouldn't just rock up and have 2 stamdalone lessons but you don't need to do that, you can work on different aspects.
 

Apercrumbie

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Fitness wise, it could be ok depending on how hard each instructor works you. However, I don't think you'd be getting value for money as it would be very hard to retain all that you learn in each lesson, and both of you are likely to get tired physically and/or mentally. Personally I would reschedule one so you can give your all to each lesson.
 
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